Rictrude

Rictrude (b. c. 612 – c. 614; d. c. 676 – c. 691) was a saint and abbess of Marchiennes Abbey, in Flanders. The main source for her life is the Vita Sanctae Rictrudis, commissioned by the abbey, and written in 907 by Hucbald. She married Saint Adalbard, despite the opposition of her family. They had four children, all of whom were later named saints. Soon after the death of their youngest child, Adalbard was assassinated. Rictrude eventually entered the religious life, even though the king opposed her decision to not remarry. She is seen as an example of the practice of medieval women embracing the religious life to ensure the "royal centralization of land and power out of the reach of secular politics" and a representation of "a systematic family strategy of diverting wealth and women away from the predatory king and his ambitious courtiers".